Still Here
by ameriker
Summary: Another story for the great show, The Mountain. Prequel to A Dream One Night


Still Here

Copyright KES 2005

Notes: Prequel to "A Dream One Night"

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, the WB does. If I did, Max and David would be together on the show, hehehe

David pulled into his parking spot at the Boundary Mountain offices and sat in his truck. He let out a big sigh and thought back to last night and the argument he and Maria had. It was over nothing, but life's little stresses can turn little things into big things. "It's definitely not like it was in high school," he thought as he headed up the stairs.

On his way there, he noticed Max sitting at the tables where they had first met. It had been two weeks since they found out there was no baby. They had talked, as friends, but really only about "mountain" business. He grabbed two coffees at the outside refreshment stand and walked over to her.

"Hey Max," David said, setting the coffee down.

"Hey David," she said somberly, wiping a tear away.

David immediately went around to the other side of the table and put his arm around her.

"What's wrong?" he asked concerned.

Max took a deep breath. "My Grandmother died yesterday," she told him, rummaging through her bag for a Kleenex.

David took her hand. "I'm so sorry Max." Max felt his hand on hers and continued talking.

"All she wanted before she died was for me to have a baby. And when I thought I was pregnant, I thought I had finally made her dream come true. And now it's too late. I let her down."

David couldn't think of the words to say, so he just pulled her into his arms and let her cry. When she calmed down, David took her face in his hands. "I'm so sorry Max. I know how much you wanted the baby." He brushed a piece of hair from her eyes. "Everything is going to be okay. I promise you."

Maria stood watching the scene below her between David and Max. The last two weeks haven't been the greatest between her and David. She thought everything would be fine when they found out Max wasn't pregnant after all. But things were definitely not like they used to be. "I need to get away for a couple days," she thought to herself as she walked inside.

David walked into the office about a half hour later. Maria looked up from her laptop.

"Hey, where have you been?" she asked.

"Outside. I ran into a friend who needed to talk," he replied.

"You mean Max?" she responded.

David stopped looking over the map on his desk and looked up. "Yes, Max. Her Grandmother died yesterday and she needed someone to talk to."

"Oh," was all Maria could say and she went back to the site she was looking at. A few minutes later she said "David, I want to go to New York for a couple days, just to relax, take in the sights, that kind of thing."

"That sounds like a great idea, I'll go with you." David said, walking over to Maria.

"Actually, I was thinking I would like to go alone---well, with friends. Kinda like a girl's weekend away," she told him.

"Well, that sounds like a good idea too. When would you go?" He asked.

"On Friday." She replied.

What Maria hasn't told David is that Travis told her that Colin's job offer in NY still stands. And while she is there with her friends, she is going to check it out. Just for laughs.

A week had passed and Maria was still in NY. She decided to extend her stay a few more days. She had met with the Dowling Industries people and was waiting for a second interview for the position. The first one had gone great, especially with Travis' recommendation.

Max and Michael left to spend a week in upstate NY for their Grandmothers funeral. While they were gone, Shelly mentioned at dinner that she would like to do something for Michael when he got back to help him feel better.

"And Max too." David added. "She is really hurting." Gennie smiled. She really liked Max and was glad she and David could be friends again. "Now only if David and Will could be friends again too," she thought to herself.

"What do you think we should do?" Shelly asked.

"I think maybe a nice dinner or something. Just to let them know we are all here for them. Lord knows Colin isn't." Gennie said.

The night before Maria was to arrive back in Boundary, she called David. Her fingers trembled as she dialed the number. David was in a meeting, so she left a voicemail for him. "Hey, David, it's me. I was just calling to say hello. Please call me as soon as you get this. I need to talk to you. Love you. Bye."

After the meeting, David called to check his messages and then called Maria back. "Hey, sorry I just got your message; I had a meeting with the planning commission this morning. How are you?"

"I'm good. I'm great actually." She told him.

"When are you coming home? I miss you." David said, smiling.

"I miss you too." She said, voice trembling.

"What's wrong? You sound different."

"David, I got the job with Dowling Industries, here in NY." Maria waited for him to say something, but he didn't. "I didn't mean for it to happen, it just kinda fell into place. Are you going to say something?"

"That's great, I guess. What about your job here? What about Boundary? What about me?" He asked her.

"It's a really great opportunity David. I love you and I love working at the Mountain, but this is my dream job. I really want to take it. But I don't know what to do, because I want to be with you."

"You know I can't leave the Mountain now. Not with Will gone."

"I know. What are we going to do?" she asked, softly crying.

"I don't know, Maria."

Gennie and David were preparing dinner for Michael and Max while Shelly, Sam and Scarlett went to pick them up at the airport.

"When's Maria coming back?" Gennie asked her son.

"Actually, she's not coming back."

"What do you mean, she's not coming back?"

"She decided to take that job that Colin offered her in NY."

"I'm surprised, I mean, I can't believe she chose the job over you. After everything that happened. What are you going to do?"

"I'm staying here. I've got responsibilities here now. I have you and Shelly to think of. Besides, I'm not really a city kind of guy." David shrugged.

"I'm sorry David. I know you loved her." Gennie hugged her son.

"I will always love her. But this time around, it wasn't like it was before. We thought that things would be like they used to be. I just wished I realized it before we did anything about it. Too many people got hurt because of us."

Gennie walked over to her son and kissed his head. "You're a good man, David. You may not always make the right choices, but you're human, we all make mistakes."

At the airport, Shelly smiled the minute she saw Michael. He smiled back. A week was a long time to be apart for the new couple.

"Hey. How are you?" she said as she hugged him.

"Doing okay. Glad the week is over though, it was rough." Michael responded.

"Hey Max. Good to see you." Shelly told her, hugging her.

"Good to see you too Shelly." Max replied smiling.

They met Sam and Scarlett over at the baggage claim and picked up their bags.

"You guys ready for a good meal?" Sam asked.

"Where you gonna take us? McDonalds?" Michael laughed.

"Actually, we have dinner ready at the house for you guys. Mom and David have been slaving over the hot stove all day." Shelly replied.

"David cooks?" Max laughed.

"Well, actually, I think Mom let him peel the potatoes and the carrots." Shelly laughed.

They arrived at the Carver's house about a half hour later. David was in his cabin getting cleaned up when they got there. Gennie greeted them at the door.

"Hey you guys. How are you?" she asked both Michael and Max.

"Doing okay. Thank you. You really didn't have to do all this" Michael told her.

"We know we didn't. We wanted to….all of us." Gennie said, looking at Max, hoping she knew that she meant David too.

Gennie went back into the kitchen to turn off the timer and Max followed her.

"Gennie, are you sure I should be here? I mean, with Maria here? It might be a little weird. And I don't want to cause any trouble." Max told her.

"Nonsense. You are welcome here anytime." She said hugging her. "Besides, Maria isn't here. And even if she were, it's my house, and I can have any guests I want." Gennie told her. "Hey Shelly, can you go get David? I tell you sometimes it takes men longer to get ready than it does women."

"Give me just a second; I have to show Michael something." Shelly told her mother.

"Kids." Gennie said shaking her head and smiling.

"I can go if you want." Max piped up. She wanted to thank David for being there for her the week before and not have an audience.

"Thanks Max." Gennie replied.

Max took her time walking to the cabin. She didn't want to seem overly anxious to see him, even though she was. David had called her three times while she was away, just to make sure she was doing okay. Max smiled, thinking that she was glad they could still be friends after all that happened. Having David in her life, even only as a friend was more important to her than anything.

She knocked on the door, and waited. It only took David a few seconds before he answered.

"Hey! Welcome home!" he said, pulling her into a hug. "How are you?"

"Doing much better. Its good to be back," she told him.

"Come in, it's freezing out here," he said, closing the door behind her. "Can I get you anything? Some hot cocoa, maybe?"

"Maybe later? You and your Mom must have been slaving all day over the stove with all the food she was getting ready. You really didn't have to do that, you know." Max told him.

"I know we didn't, but we just wanted to let you and Michael know that we are here for you."

Without thinking, Max put her hand in his. And he didn't seem to mind. "I wanted to say thank you for being there for me during the last week. It really meant a lot to me. More than you know actually."

"I do care about you Max. I want you to know that."

"I know you do David, but I did a lot of thinking while I was gone. All I want is for you to be happy. And if its Maria that makes you happy than that's all that matters. And the last thing I want to do is cause trouble for you.

David got up and walked over towards the window. "Well, it turns out that things aren't going to work out with Maria and me after all."

"What are you talking about?" Max asked him.

"She's decided that she wants the job in NY after all," he told her.

"You aren't going with her?" Max wondered.

David shook his head. "I told her that my life was here now. I have responsibilities and I owe it to my Grandfather to give the Mountain a chance. A better chance than what I have given it so far. And with Will gone…..its up to me."

"I'm sorry David. I really am." Max told him, as she put her hand on his shoulder.

"I'm the one who should be sorry. I'm the idiot in all this. I really messed up my life, Max. I lost my brother and I lost you." David said, looking at Max.

"You didn't lose me, David. I'm still here."

Part Two coming soon!


End file.
